Clara and I met on a dating app, bonding over our love of the macabre. We’ve been talking for a few months, going on a few dates, watching scary movies, and drinking together. We weren’t anything official, but we enjoyed each other’s company. We were both growing tired of our jobs and decided to take some time off. We wanted to visit a place packed with fun, food, drinks, and especially spooky things. What better destination to visit than New Orleans?
We coordinated our schedules and were able to plan a couple of days off. I can’t tell you how excited we both were as the days passed and Friday finally arrived for us to leave. We got into my car and drove away for our little getaway that morning. We were in the bustling streets of The Big Easy a few hours later. This was the first time either of us had been here, and we were eager to absorb everything we could. Luckily, there was an AirBnB at this apartment in the heart of the city for a bargain price, and there was a parking garage across the street.
The city is positively electrifying. The streets are thriving with people out having a good time. I was ready to take Clara and join the never-ending party. Our first challenge was to locate a parking spot. We finally arrived at the parking garage. It was not going to be simple to find a spot for my car. We ended up going round and around, ascending up and up in the building. We ended up on the sixth level, which was the garage roof. Our ears were filled with laughter, music, and celebration as soon as we stepped out of the car.
I gathered our belongings and we descended the elevator. I checked my phone to make sure I had everything I needed from our host. Everything went smoothly, and we turned up at our destination. Although it wasn’t the fanciest hotel, I definitely got my money’s worth. It was a small apartment on the complex’s tenth floor. As soon as you walked in, there was a quaint kitchen, a living room with an old green sofa in front of a flat-screen TV, and the entrance to the bedroom, where a king-sized bed adorned with purple and gold sheets greeted us.
Clara hurried to the restroom to get ready for a night out while I put our belongings aside. I went to the large windows and pulled back the drapes to see the rooftops and buildings outside. My black Ford Focus was parked on the parking garage’s rooftop when I peered down. The open spaces were being swiftly filled by other automobiles, so I was happy to have gotten one. I was taking in every detail as I looked all about. The sun was lowering, and city lights started to gradually come on. I first noticed her then.
On top of the parking garage, a female silhouette stood in front of a flickering light. She remained still while gazing at the cement rooftop guards. She caught my attention as I was looking down. I couldn’t discern any distinguishing characteristics. Though she was only a black shadow, I could make out that she had long hair that hung down to her hips and moved with the wind. How long had she been there? She started to climb up the guard, and my heart started to beat faster. She started to creep closer to the brink, and my breath froze in my throat as I helplessly stared down.
My body just reacted, and I jolted forward into the glass, shouting “Fuck!” Clara screamed and bolted out of the bathroom. She looked at me with worry and asked me what was wrong. “This girl just jumped!” I told her and pointed towards the roof. She rushed to my side and as we both peered out the window, there was nothing. I craned my neck over, dread filling my chest to see if there was a body splattered on the sidewalk. There was nothing. No trace of any gore, no bloody mess, no sign of any girl. I swore to Clara that I had seen a girl standing on the rooftop of the parking garage and she was going to jump. She did jump.
Clara groaned and punched my shoulder. “Don’t scare me like that, you jerk,” she grumbled as she returned to the bathroom to finish her makeup. I glanced back out the window, wondering if my eyes were just playing tricks on me. Half an hour later, we were both ready to head out into the night. We had plans for dinner at a restaurant on Jackson Square and to grab a few drinks at a bar on Frenchmen Street. Everything was great, but I wasn’t all there. The memory of that dark female shape slowly stepping over that edge kept flashing in my mind.
I hoped that alcohol would drown out the thoughts in my head, but I couldn’t enjoy the night. After a couple of cocktails, my stomach started to turn. I told Clara that we had to go back to the apartment because I wasn’t feeling well. Disappointment flashed on her face, but she brushed it off after seeing the pathetic state I was in. We took an uber back to our room. It was barely midnight when we both settled into bed. “Hey, I’m sorry about tonight.” I told her, and she leaned over and kissed my cheek. It’s fine. “We’ll have fun tomorrow,” she said. I let out a sigh of relief and closed my eyes to slowly drift off into sleep.
I awoke in the middle of the night. My head felt heavy and there was a pressure on my eyes. Nature was calling, so I got up to go to the bathroom. As Clara was lightly snoring, I made sure not to do anything to wake her. Slowly and carefully, I groggily stepped through the darkness towards the toilet. After finishing my business, I stepped out to see Clara under the blankets. Her breathing was soft and soothing. She was illuminated by a dim light coming from the living room.
I was very certain that everything was completely black just a second ago. I peered into the living room through the entryway of the bedroom. A little side table with a lamp on it was located on the other side of the couch. As soon as I focused my eyes on the bulb, its yellow light started to flicker. I approached the bulb after hearing a faint clicking sound. As I came closer, the lamp began to strobe faster and faster. When I eventually got there, I stood in pitch blackness. I remained there for a while, now fully awake, gazing forward at a curtain that covered another window.
I was compelled to glance out the window. A growing surge of terror wrenched my chest. I reached out, gripping the thick fabric and pushing it aside. On top of the parking garage was a flickering white light. My car was there, along with a few others, and I quickly spotted what I was looking for. That terrible silhouette was standing on the edge of the roof, atop the cement guards. A black mass that appeared and vanished as the light turned on and off.
I moved closer to the edge, centimeter by centimeter. I was entranced. My focus was fixed on the shape. I wanted to yell at her to warn her not to do it. She was getting closer and closer to the edge; she was going to fall. Then she came to a halt, and her head snapped in an instant. I couldn’t see her eyes. Although I was still unable to make out any facial features on her body, I could tell that she was looking directly at me. I suddenly came to my senses and jerked backwards. I screamed in terror as I landed on my ass. shuffling backwards away from the damn window.
“What the hell?!” Clara yelled as she dashed out of the bedroom. My whole body was drenched in cold sweat as I looked up at her. As I wiped my brow, my hands began to violently shake. I struggled for a minute to catch my breath. She asked what was wrong, and I told her I saw the girl outside again. She looked out the window and then back at me for a long moment. Clara saw nothing but cars and buildings outside. I could feel her annoyance as she moaned and got back into bed, so I gathered myself and settled down next to her.
It took me a while, but when I was finally able to go back to sleep, I wished that I hadn’t. In my unconscious state, I dreamt that I was on that roof. The spaces were completely empty and I was utterly alone. I’m not sure why, but I was overcome with an unfathomable sadness. Tears were streaming down my face and I could vividly feel the cold, rough concrete surface that I stood on with bare feet. I took a step forward. My body was moving on its own, and I used all my might to stop myself. I wasn’t in control. I was just a passenger trapped inside my own body as I helplessly felt myself lift up onto the edge of the roof.
A cold breeze brushed my face, chilling the tears on my cheeks. I looked down onto the street. My heart was racing, beating against my ribs, wanting to burst out. My feet moved forward and I begged God or whatever higher power to stop me. I took one big step onto empty air, and I immediately felt myself plummet down. I looked down and the earth quickly became up. All I could hear was a rush of wind. My body fell at an incredible speed and as my eyes came face to face with gray stone…I woke up.
My eyes were wide open, and my entire body ached. I looked around and realized I was standing in front of the bedroom window. I knelt on my knees and sobbed quietly. I didn’t want to wake Clara up, so I did my best to clean myself up without waking her. She didn’t wake up until a few hours later. I put on a cheerful face and assured her that everything was fine. We went out for brunch after she had finished getting ready and enjoyed the festive atmosphere. I pretended to be “normal” for her, but a void was swirling inside of me. Despite the fact that I was surrounded by so many people, I felt so alone.
I laughed when she laughed, I smiled when she smiled, and I pretended to be happy to make her happy. I went through the motions as easily as a mirror. Clara expressed her worry over my behavior yesterday, but I reassured her that I was fine. We did a tour, visited a couple of more restaurants, and hopped a few bars. She had fun while I pushed the girl and the dream to the very back of my mind. Inside my body, I was struggling to make it through the day.
The long hours had passed and it was already 2 AM. We returned to the apartment and crashed onto the bed. She kissed my forehead and thanked me for an amazing day. I forced a smile at her and told her we had more days to come. Check out was at 11 AM, so we decided to turn in. We lay on the bed, back to back, and I stared towards the window. When I heard her rhythmic breaths, I got up and looked out the window. My gaze instantly turned to the rooftop; my car was still parked in its spot, a few new cars in the other spaces, and the single white light flickered over the elevator.
There was no sign of the girl at all. I closed the curtain and opened it again like turning a television on and off in hopes of seeing that girl… but she wasn’t there. Why wasn’t she there? Was she done with me? I started to feel anxious and I don’t know why, but I ran out of the apartment. As soon as I stepped outside, I was greeted by a deafening silence. The sound of the city, people, and cars were all gone. I ignored my sense of unease and continued to the parking garage.
I hurried to the ground floor elevator, pressing the call button furiously. The mechanical groans could be heard from inside, but the doors did not open. “Screw it.” I muttered to myself as I walked uphill. The roof was on the sixth level, and as I ascended, so many thoughts began to race through my mind. My job sucks; I’m not making enough money; this whole trip was a waste of time and money; my legs hurt from all the walking; Clara doesn’t love me; Clara doesn’t understand me; she doesn’t want me; no one wants a fucking loser like me.
I stepped onto the 6th floor, and I looked around frantically. Where is the girl? Where is she? She is the only one that understands the sadness I feel. The light began to flicker erratically, and I caught glimpses of the girl. She was no longer a silhouette; at that moment I could see her so clearly. She stood there stark naked. She was tall, maybe 5’11” with long limbs. She had the body of a dancer. No, she looked like a fairy to me. Her eyes were as dark as her long raven hair, empty yet inviting. Her skin was extremely pale. It reminded me of a canvas as I noticed streaks of crimson blood all over her.
She took small steps backwards, her bones cracking with every move, and I moved forward with her. She outstretched her right arm to me, bones jutting out of her skin and fingers broken. In turn, I reached out to her, wanting to feel her. Every negative thought I had, the feeling of failure, the emptiness of being unloved, the void inside of me was being replaced with the thought of touching her. She was over the edge, and I met her gaze as I stepped onto the guard. Her eyes were pure black, empty yet inviting. She smiled to reveal jagged broken teeth, and blood trickled down her scalp.
She wanted me to hold her hands and dance with her as she stood in the air. This beautiful broken girl stood in front of me. She was death, and she wanted to be embraced by me. All I needed to do was take one step closer to her. If I just go to her, the pain inside my heart will go away. She is the only person who understands me…she cherishes me. A gust of wind hit me in the face as I lifted my leg to move forward. I was reminded of my dream about falling. I remembered the fear I felt as I remembered my body rushing to the street.
I started crying. This time, I was in control of my body, and everything in me was screaming for me to move forward. Then something grabbed my leg. I looked down to see Clara. Her expression was twisted with fear and pain. She hadn’t removed her makeup, so black streaks ran down her cheeks. “Please don’t do it!” she begged, tightening her hold on my leg. When I returned my gaze to the girl, reality hit me. Her beautiful face had turned into a monster in my eyes. I stumbled backwards as she opened her mouth in a silent scream. My ears were ringing and my head ached. Clara’s curries sounded muffled, and I felt dizzy. The words escaped my lips, “I’m sorry…I’m sorry…I’m so-” Everything faded to black.
When I awoke, I found myself in a hospital bed. I looked to see a teary-eyed Clara tightly gripping my hand. She released me and wiped her eyes. “You fucking idiot, why would you do that?” I rested my head back. My skull was split and I could tell from the bandages that were tightly wound on me. “I’m sorry.” was all I could say. I told her about all of my insecurities and everything that I felt. I told her that I felt like I wanted to die, and she grabbed my face and kissed my lips. “I love you, of course I fucking love you,” she snapped at me.
I was released from the hospital after I had recovered a little more. We returned to the room, packed our belongings, and climbed back onto the roof to reach my car. I gave her the keys because she insisted on driving. “Promise me that when we get back, you’ll get some help,” she said, grabbing my hand. I leaned against the window, and in the car’s side mirror, I noticed not only my reflection, but also the black shape of a girl sitting in the back seat. “Yeah, I promise I’ll get some help,” I replied quietly.